por Clara Itzel Hernandez
El New York Times fue el primero en anunciar que el juez Gary Allen Feess, quien está a cargo de la demanda por los derechos de Watchmen, dictaminó a favor de la 20th Century Fox por sobre Warner Bros, el juicio estaba programado para finales de enero. ¿Pero qué quiere decir esto? Que el juez tiene la intención de darle a Fox, "por lo menos, el derecho de distribuir el filme Watchmen". Y de acuerdo con Nikki Finke, si WB decide hacer una apelación, el estreno de la película podría atrasarse hasta el 2011 gracias a la "rapidez" en el sistema de tribunales de EU.
Los derechos de Watchmen han cambiado de manos desde finales de los 80s, de Fox a Universal, a Paramount y finalmente a Warner Bros. y Legendary Pictures, quienes hicieron la película. Ya desde hace tiempo, ejecutivos de WB se han quejado –en privado, por supuesto– que Fox se está aprovechando, estableciendo que la 20th no hizo nada mientras otros estudios desarrollaban el proyecto. Y que de hecho Fox tuvo una oportunidad de readquirir el proyecto, pero decidió no hacerlo.
Por el otro lado, Fox establece que ellos tienen los derechos de distribuición a cualquier película basada en los Watchmen y que han tenido estos derechos por casi dos décadas, de acuerdo a los arreglos que hicieron con el productor Lawrence Gordon.
Definitivamente no fue una blanca navidad para Warner Bros.
Los derechos de Watchmen han cambiado de manos desde finales de los 80s, de Fox a Universal, a Paramount y finalmente a Warner Bros. y Legendary Pictures, quienes hicieron la película. Ya desde hace tiempo, ejecutivos de WB se han quejado –en privado, por supuesto– que Fox se está aprovechando, estableciendo que la 20th no hizo nada mientras otros estudios desarrollaban el proyecto. Y que de hecho Fox tuvo una oportunidad de readquirir el proyecto, pero decidió no hacerlo.
Por el otro lado, Fox establece que ellos tienen los derechos de distribuición a cualquier película basada en los Watchmen y que han tenido estos derechos por casi dos décadas, de acuerdo a los arreglos que hicieron con el productor Lawrence Gordon.
Definitivamente no fue una blanca navidad para Warner Bros.
Nota de The New York Times en Ingles:
por Michael Cieply
LOS ANGELES — In a surprise ruling, a federal judge in Los Angeles said he intended to grant 20th Century Fox’s claim that it owns a copyright interest in the “Watchmen,” a movie shot by Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures and set for release in March.
The decision was disclosed in a five-page written order issued on Wednesday. Gary A. Feess, a judge in the United States District Court for Central California, said he would provide a more detailed order soon.
Fox has been seeking to prevent Warner from releasing the film. The superhero adventure, based on the “Watchmen” graphic novel, is being directed by Zack Snyder (who also directed “300”) and has shaped up as one of most eagerly anticipated releases for next year.
A Warner spokesman, Scott Rowe, declined to comment on the ruling and the studio’s plans.
At an earlier hearing, the judge said he believed that issues in the case could be settled only at a trial, which was scheduled for late January. On Wednesday, however, Judge Feess said he had reconsidered and concluded that Fox should prevail on crucial issues.
“Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the ‘Watchmen’ motion picture,” the ruling said.
Fox acquired rights to the “Watchmen” graphic novel in the late 1980s for the producer Lawrence Gordon, but eventually dropped its own plan to make a movie from its story, about the underside of life for superbeings.
Mr. Gordon later pursued the project with Universal Pictures, and then with Paramount Pictures, before shooting it with Warner and Legendary under an arrangement that allows Paramount to distribute the film abroad.
In ruling on Wednesday, Judge Feess advised both Fox and Warner to look toward a settlement or an appeal.
“The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review,” he said.
The decision was disclosed in a five-page written order issued on Wednesday. Gary A. Feess, a judge in the United States District Court for Central California, said he would provide a more detailed order soon.
Fox has been seeking to prevent Warner from releasing the film. The superhero adventure, based on the “Watchmen” graphic novel, is being directed by Zack Snyder (who also directed “300”) and has shaped up as one of most eagerly anticipated releases for next year.
A Warner spokesman, Scott Rowe, declined to comment on the ruling and the studio’s plans.
At an earlier hearing, the judge said he believed that issues in the case could be settled only at a trial, which was scheduled for late January. On Wednesday, however, Judge Feess said he had reconsidered and concluded that Fox should prevail on crucial issues.
“Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the ‘Watchmen’ motion picture,” the ruling said.
Fox acquired rights to the “Watchmen” graphic novel in the late 1980s for the producer Lawrence Gordon, but eventually dropped its own plan to make a movie from its story, about the underside of life for superbeings.
Mr. Gordon later pursued the project with Universal Pictures, and then with Paramount Pictures, before shooting it with Warner and Legendary under an arrangement that allows Paramount to distribute the film abroad.
In ruling on Wednesday, Judge Feess advised both Fox and Warner to look toward a settlement or an appeal.
“The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review,” he said.
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